Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Board Announces Appointment of New CEO
Friday, September 07, 2007
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| Stephen K. Jones, President and CEO |
NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ -- Citing the tremendous momentum under his interim leadership of Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, Chairman of the Board of Directors Gil Blitz announced to the RWJUH Medical Board on Thursday night that Stephen K. Jones, FACHE, has been selected as the new President and CEO of Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and Robert Wood Johnson Health System, ending a six-month national search.
“Steve is uniquely qualified to lead Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. As interim President and CEO for the last 9 months, he has impressed the Board and the entire hospital family with his ability to achieve significant success in a short period of time,” Blitz said. “After meeting with many remarkably talented applicants from across the country the Board felt strongly that the continuity of Steve’s demonstrated leadership serves the hospital best at this time.”
Blitz further stated, “Under Steve’s leadership our finances remain rock solid and our future growth is certain. He has made it his personal mission to strengthen our important partnerships with the UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, our private and faculty physicians, our nursing staff and employees, and our system hospitals. Steve’s vision, shared by the Board and our senior management team, has us on a glide path to becoming recognized as a world-class academic medical center. During his tenure Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital has been named one of “America’s Best Hospitals” by U.S.News & World Report; we have undergone one of the smoothest, most successful reaccredidation processes in our history by the Joint Commission; and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital has been recognized in federal legislation as a premier cancer treatment facility under Medicare, one of only a handful in the entire nation, allowing us to provide the most advanced cancer care available. At every step along the way, Steve’s focus has always been ‘how can Robert Wood Johnson better serve our patients and the healthcare professionals who call our hospital home.’ The Board is confident that Steve’s focus and his vision will help the hospital continue to achieve great success in the years ahead.
Blitz added, “In his 25 years at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, Steve has always been a strong leader, an outstanding communicator and truly a great person to work with. On behalf of the entire Board, I offer our gratitude and congratulations to Steve and his family.”
New President and CEO Stephen Jones said, “I am deeply honored by the Board’s confidence in my ability to lead Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and thank Board members for giving me the opportunity to continue my work in a job and a place I dearly love. It is a privilege to work with and lead so many outstanding individuals, each dedicated to providing the absolute best care to our patients. Collectively through their expertise, research, and utilization of advanced treatments and technologies, our faculty and private physicians, nurses, technicians and staff have made us one of the best academic medical centers in the nation.”
Jones added, “The future is exciting at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and I am humbled to be a part of it. Soon ground will be broken by UMDNJ and Rutgers University for the state’s new Stem Cell Institute located on our campus; our cardiac surgical teams are preparing to implant the world’s first fully implantable, permanent artificial heart; the PSE&G Children’s Specialized Hospital will soon open making our children’s health campus, including our own Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital and the UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Child Health Institute of New Jersey, one of the most comprehensive child health facilities in the northeast; and our proton beam therapy, expected in 2009, will ensure our treatment of cancer is among the most technologically advanced in the nation.”
Mr. Jones, 60, was appointed interim President and CEO of Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital on December 13, 2006. Prior to this role, Jones served as Senior Vice President, Operations since October of 1983. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from the University of Maryland in 1973, and a Master of Arts in Healthcare Administration from George Washington University in 1976. Mr. Jones’ career in healthcare management spans more than 30 years. His previous experience includes management in other New Jersey facilities such as Somerset Medical Center in Somerville and Barnert Memorial Hospital Center in Paterson. Mr. Jones is past president of the Senior Healthcare Executives Society of New Jersey, past president of the Assistant Hospital Directors Association of New Jersey, and a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. He is also a faculty appointment at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, and teaches the course, Introduction to Health Administration in the Bloustein School undergraduate Public Health Program. Mr. Jones and his wife Barbara reside in South Brunswick, NJ. They have two children and five grandchildren.
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick is part of the Robert Wood Johnson Health System which also includes Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital at Rahway and Children’s Specialized Hospital, soon to open a new facility in New Brunswick.
About Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
Selected as one of four hospitals nationwide to offer the world's first self-contained implantable artificial heart, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (www.rwjuh.edu) is a 600-bed academic medical center and the principal hospital of UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick, NJ. Robert Wood Johnson is an innovative leader in advancing state-of-the-art care in medicine. Its Centers of Excellence include cardiovascular care from minimally invasive heart surgery to transplantation, cancer care, and women's and children's care including The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children's Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (www.bmsch.org). The hospital is also a Level 1 Trauma Center and serves as a national resource in its ground-breaking approaches to emergency preparedness.
The hospital has earned significant national recognition for clinical quality and patient safety. Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital is ranked among the top 50 hospitals in the nation for both heart and heart surgery and respiratory disorders, according to U.S.News & World Report's 2008 ranking of "America's Best Hospitals." The American College of Surgeons' Commission on Cancer has rated Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital among the nation's best comprehensive cancer centers. The Leapfrog Group rated Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital as one of the 50 exceptional U.S. hospitals, as published in Consumers Digest magazine. Harvard University researchers, in a study commissioned by The Commonwealth Fund, identified Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital as one of the top 10 hospitals in the nation for clinical quality. Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital is also a recipient of the prestigious Magnet Award for Nursing Excellence for more than 10 consecutive years.
Attention members of the media: For more information on this release, please contact the Department of Public Relations (732) 937-8521.
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